Spring actuated wheel and track device



May 19, 1953 J o, REDLIND 2,639,152

SPRING ACTUATED mm. mm TRACK DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1950 5 4 2Sheets-Sheet 1 a J J0 41 4 a 3K 44 J9) IN VENTOR. Jz v V //\/\/S//A .27wk 0, E 18 zxgJ,

20 ATTORNEYS Patented May 19, 1953 SPRING ACTUATED WHEEL AND TRACKDEVICE John 0. Redlind, Napa County, 'Calif., assignor of one-fourth toClayton E. Bargewell, Gustinc,

Calif.

Application November 10, 1950, Serial No. 195,025

3 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices of the type having numberedindicating elements mounted to travel on a game board with sections ofthe game board numbered to correspond with numbers of a travelingelement and in which the traveling element is in the form of a wheel anda track on which the wheel travels is provided with an upwardly slopingend into which the wheel is driven by a spring and from which the wheelreturns by gravity to indicate a numher.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a game device having aroller in combination with a numbered track on a playing field whereinthe roller is actuated by tripping a spring.

Various types of numbered wheels have been provided in combination withtracks for playing games but where a wheel is journaled on a pin or in astand the momentum of the wheel is dependent upon the force appliedthereto b an operator. With this thought in mind this inventioncontemplates a numbered wheel in which an operating force is applied tothe wheel by a spring and in which the spring is tripped in the samemanner in each operation. By this means the distance the wheel travelsis dependent upon the force applied by the spring so that the travel ofthe wheel is mechanically controlled and is not influenced by anoperator of the game.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means forconstructing a game device wherein a numbered indicating wheel, mountedto rotate through shafts extended therethrough on a track, is startedwith a snap movement by a spring and is returned by gravity, and whereinthe spring is released by a manually actuated trigger.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game device having anindicating element in which the indicating element may be actuated by aplayer or by an operator of the game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game device having anumbered wheel mounted to rotate on a track with numbers provided on thewheel to correspond with numbers on a playing field of the device, whichis of a comparatively simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a game board having a playing field with a track positionedacross one side of the field, with a roller mounted to travel on thetrack, and with a manually actuated spring for starting the roller.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing where- Figure1 is a plan view showing the game board with a track provided at oneside of a substantially semi-circular field and with a wheel mounted onthe track and positioned to travel from a casing at one side of thetrack to a similar casing at the opposite side.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the game board, taken on line2-4? of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the game board taken on line 33 ofFig. 1.

Figure 4 is a detail illustrating the numbered Wheel that travels on thetrack of the game board.

Figure 5 is a cross section through the starting end of the track beingtaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a cross section through the opposite end of themtrack beingtaken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the traveling wheel game'of this invention includesa game board [0, a track having rails II .and I2 extended across oneside of the game board, a wheel 13 having a shaft H with flat sidesthereon extended from opposite sides there! of, a spring l5 positionedto drive the wheel along the track, an actuator 01' operating element 16for tripping the spring, and a crank I! on a shaft I8 on which theactuator I6 is mounted.

The game board 10 is provided with a horizontallydisposed panel [9 whichis supported by legs 20 and the semi circulai' portion 21 of the boardis provided with a wall 22.

The section 2| of the game board is provided with a divided section 23having numerals 24 thereon corresponding with numerals 25 on oppositesurfaces of the wheel I 3 and the intermediate part of the board may beprovided with areas 26 in which the terms high, low, odd and even may beplaced.

The track formed by the rails II and i2 is positioned in the portion 10of the game board and the rails extend from a casing 21 at one side ofthe board to a casing 28 at the opposite side and the portions of therails upon which the ends of the shaft of the wheel travel are coveredwith felt, or similar material, as indicated by the numerals 29 and 30.

The track is formed by a longitudinally disposed slot or groove 3|formed in a block 32 extended across the board and positioned againstthe main block or section to of the game board. With the ends of theshaft l4 positioned on the rails of the track the wheel I3 is positionedbetween the rails as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The block 32 is provided with an upper section 33 and the upper end ofthe spring I 5 is retained in a slot 34 in the block 33 by a screw 35.The block 33 is also provided with a set screw 36 having a lock nut 31thereon and the screw 36 is positioned to regulate tension on the springI5 whereby the travel of the wheel may be controlled.

The shaft I8 on the outer end of which the crank I1 is positioned isjournaled in the blocks I and 32, as shown in Fig. 5. The actuator I6,which is mounted on the shaft may be actuated by the crank H to move thespring I over to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 and thenrelease the spring whereby the spring action, inherent therein, snapsthe spring against the wheel I3, driving the wheel along the track andup an incline 38 in the casing 21 where the wheel comes to rest. As thewheel stops the force of gravity draws the wheel down the incline 38 andthe wheel travels along the track, stopping at some point thereon withone of the numbers thereof extended upwardly.

The player having a chip on the number that extends upwardly when thewheel comes to rest is the winner of the game. The numbers extendupwardly from the flat side of the shaft so that when the wheel comes torest one of the numbers will extend straight upwardly from the center ofthe shaft.

The casing 21 is provided with an opening 39 through which the wheelpasses, and the casing 28 is provided with a similar opening 40, alsothrough which the wheel passes.

The block I ll of the game board is provided with slots ll separated bypartitions 42 providing a chip rack in which chips, or the like, arepositioned, as indicated by the dotted lines 43 in Fig. 3.

The band or wall 22 extended around the section 2| of the game board,extends across the ends and the edges at the rear are connected by asimilar band 44, extended across the lower section of the block I 0providing the head or main portion of the game board.

In playing the game chips are placed by players on the numerals 24 insections 23 and the wheel I3 is actuated by turning the crank H in aclockwise direction until the actuator I6 releases the spring I5 wherebythe spring naps the wheel I3 along the track and up the incline in thecasing 28. The wheel comes to rest and the force of gravity causes thewheel to roll downwardly on the sloping surface 38 of the track wherebythe wheel comes to rest at some intermediate point on the track and withone of the numerals 25 extended upwardly.

It will be understood that the wheel may be of any suitable shape andsize and other modifications may be made in the parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a game, the combination which comprises a game board having atrack thereon and with one end of said track extended upwardly, a Wheelrotatably mounted on said track and having shafts extending from theopposite sides of the wheel and engaging the track a spring positionedto drive the said wheel on the track, and means actuating the spring fordriving the wheel on the track whereby the wheel travels up the inclinedsection of the track and is returned by gravity to a position of restupon the track.

2. A game comprising a game board having spaced rails providing a trackhaving an arcuate upwardly inclined end section on said game board, awheel with shafts having fiat sides extended at the sides and havingriding engagement with said rails, a spring mounted on the game boardand spaced from the end of the track opposite to the end in which theupwardly inclined section is positioned, a shaft having a crank on theend thereof journalled in the said game board, an actuator on the saidshaft and positioned to engage the said spring and the said spring is sopositioned that upon release thereof by the actuator the spring engagesthe wheel and drives the wheel along the track and up the inclinedsection at the opposite end thereof.

3. A game as in claim 2 wherein means is provided for regulating thetension on the said spring.

JOHN O. REDLIND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 645,859 Kuck Mar. 20, 1900 1,319,561 Brenner Oct. 21, 19191,500,767 Rice July 8, 1924 1,569,688 Utter Jan. 12, 1926 1,576,966Glinger Mar. 16, 1926 1,723,377 Salomon Aug. 6, 1929 2,118,084Heinzelmann May 24, 1938 2,199,016 Watkins Apr. 30, 1940 2,322,089Greitzer June 15, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 124,095Austria Aug. 10, 1931

